A New Plateau

For at least ten thousand years, until the arrival of railroads in the 1880s, thepeople of the Colorado Plateau—Canyon Country—primarily derived theirsustenance from the natural resources of the land they inhabited.People today find themselves in a vastly different situation. Now almosteverything we eat, wear, and use comes from other places. This book chroniclesthe achievements of an inspired group of Canyon Country people who arecountering this trend by asserting a new kind of citizenship—a citizenship thatextends beyond the political realm to root itself in deep respect for, and relianceon, the nature of the region.They are tucked back in canyons, hidden on mesa tops, and set in cities andtiny towns alike—some of the world’s most interesting experiments in usingwind and solar energy, harvesting food sustainably, building to fit a desertclimate, and using the renewable by-products of forest restoration to meethuman needs. This book, for the first time, tells the stories of the innovators andculture-bearers who are ensuring that diverse human communities can continueto live in harmony with the Southwest’s stunning natural and culturallandscapes.

“At a time when problems seem sooverwhelming, it’s deeply inspiring tosee that their solutions lie not in hugegrants and corporate works but in thehands of individuals who are focuseddeeply on their own life’s work, be itfarming, cooking, weaving, building, orwildcrafting. A New Plateau showshow, piece by piece and person byperson, sustainability is ultimatelyexpressed and obtained.”—Deborah Madison, author of LocalFlavors: Cooking and Eating fromAmerica’s Farmers’ Markets